Submersible amusement device



H-. GERNSBACK. SUBMERSIBLE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1920- 1,384,750.

IN VEN TOR..

Patented July 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET ATTORNEY.

H. GERNSBACK.

SUBMERSIBLE AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-22, [920.

1 84,750. Patented July 19, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

5 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

nceo ennnsnncx, or new YORK, N. Y.

SUBMERSIBLE A'MUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1921.

Application filed-November 22, 1920. Serial No. 425,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IUGO GERNSBAOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submersible Amusement Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a submersible amusement device, and the main object of the invention is to provide an amusement device in the form of a Ferris wheel adapted to travel along an inclined track, part of which is submerged, to bring all the passenger cars of the wheel into and out of the water at regular intervals during the progress of the wheel down and up the track.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for rapidly loading passengers on all the cars of the device simultaneously at unloading all cars simultaneously at the end of the trip.

Another important object of the invention relates to ventilating means for the watertight, submersible cars of the device.

These and other important objects of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of my amusement device, showing the wheel at the lower limit of its travel, with some of its cars submerged, and also showing means for moving said wheel up and down the track, and

means for loading and unloading all the cars of the wheel simultaneously.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating themanner of operation of the device and the preferred means here employed for moving the wheel.

Fig. 3 is'a front elevation showing the wheel at rest at its landing station and in position to take on or put off passengers at all cars simultaneously.

Fig. at is a transverse section through one of the cars, showing ventilating means for the car.

' Fig. 5 is a section on line 55,Fig-.v 4, looking in the direction of the arrow showin details of ventilating means.

ig. 6 is a section on line 66, Fig. 5, showing further details of ventilating means. Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

the beginning of each trip, and.

Referring now to the drawings, 2' desigQ nates generally an open framework wheel of the embodiment of the device here illustrated the speed of travel of the wheel 2 is con trolled by cables 9 encircling sheaves 10 on the wheel and driven by power-operated means 11 located on shore. Two cables are here shown, each immovably anchored at one end in a bulkhead 12 and at the other end passing over drums 13 adapted for carrying the wound-up cable. A counterweight 14 attached to the movable ends of the cables serves to retard the downward movement of the wheel and to lessen the power required for returning the wheel to its shore position. It will be seen that the wheel in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings has one-half submerged, three of its six passenger cars being under water and three above water, the surface of the water being indicated at 15. A safety device in the form of an abutment 16 serves to check the downward movement, of the wheel in case a cable or cables by any chance fail to operate or break.

At 17 I have shown a loading and unloading station for the passengers using the wheel, this station having many novel features. It will be noted that there are platforms shown on four levers 18, 19, 20 and 21, to conform to the floor levels of the six cars shown, at times when the wheel is held in its station 17. Thus the upper car 3 in Fig. 3 will be located at the level of the platform 18, the two cars next below will be located at opposite ends of the platform 19, the two next. below these at opposite ends of the platform 20, and the bottom car at the lowest platform 21. It will be apparent that by this arrangement cars may be speedily loaded and unloaded, all cars taking on pas-- sengers simultaneously, and all cars discharging their passengers at the same time. Thus the delay encountered when separate 24, may

stops for each car are necessary will be avoided by this arrangement. Elevators 22 are shown for carrying passengers up to the different car platforms and for returm ing'them to the ground level.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated the preferred wedge-like form of the bottom of each car,

this being designated by 23, and permitting easy entrance into the water. The space 23 between said bottom and the floor of the car,

beyon that of the passengers being required tomaintain the car in theproper position when in'the water. I

Meansfor ventilating a car is shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the means illustrated comprising a ventilator-pipe 25 connected with a fan-chamber 26 inclosing a fan 27 driven by amotor 28. The pipe 25 is capped at 29, the capping and uncapping, to exclude water and admit air, being under the control of an operator on each car. A rack and pinion are shown. at 30 and 31 to permitthis control, said rack being formed on a rod 32 con nected to the cap 29. The hood 33 serves to prevent entrance of water into the ventilator- V pipe 25 when the cap 29 is OK the pipe 25.

tionary. in its shed or station 17 the greater portion of the operating cables 9 being then wound upon the drums 13 and the counter weight 14 being at the bottom of the tower. The opposite ends of the cables are anchored in the bulkhead 12, there being thus one im-v movable end to each cable and one movable counterweighted end, this movable end being connected to the power means. The doors ofthe cars now being opened by attendants, passengers enter the cars from the platforms 18, 19, 20 and 21, all cars on all levels being filled at the same time. The watertight doors 34 are now closed, the signal to start given, and the car is released and begins to move down the track, the cables unwinding gradually at a predetermined speed from the drums 13, and the counterweight 14 rising slowly. In the first stages of the wheels progress down the incline all the cars 3 revolve time after time in the air,

as this portion of the runway is on land. Later in its progress the wheelenters the water andthe cars then positioned at the bottom of the wheel dip into the water, arising therefrom as the wheel continues to revolve, other cars entering the water as the first cars emerge. The continued downward V be used for ballast, additional weight travel of the wheel on the track 4 causes intermittent submergence and emergence of each car, and as the slope is very slight and makes many complete revolutions while in the water and each car is alternately in and out of water many times before the downward trip is completed. Stops will ordinarily be made to allow passengers to enjoy the peculiar sensations incident tothe trip, the heavy glass windows of thev T to the station 17 now comes into operation,

the cables begin to wind around the-drums 13, the counterweight l4 begins its descent, and the wheel has begun its return trip to its station 17. again revolves many timesand each car is in and out of the water intermittently as on the down trip. Upon arrival of the wheel at the station 17, attendants open the water tight doors 34 and passengers alight on the platforms at each car level, after which'oth ers enter and the wheel is prepared for another trip. V

Lookouts in the pilot-houses 35 are enabled at any part of the trip to signal to the operating station on shore for any purpose desired, while a guard in each car attends to the opening and closing of the watertight the runway comparatively long, the wheel On this return trip the wheel 7 doors, operates the ventilating apparatus and performs any the car.

It will be noted that the lower end of, the runway is preferably of such depth as'to permit submergence of the wheel for about one-half of its diameter, causing 'onehalf of the total number of cars tobe submerged simultaneously when the wheel is at the lower end of the incline. The slope of the runway being very gradual, a wheel of one other necessary duty within hundred feet diameter may be used with a 1 runway of onethousand feet or more, ifdesired. V Q 7 The use of the. counterweight 14 reduces greatly the amount of, additional powerthat 7 would otherwise be necessary, to pull the wheel back to its station on shore. V What I claim is: 1. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track, of a wheel adapted to move along said track, cables for controlling. the .speed of movement ofv the wheel down said track, and meansfor inoving the wheel up the track.

2 In an amusement device, the. combination with an inclined trac k, of a wheel adapted to move alon said: track, cars on said wheel and rotata le .on axes near. the peripherythereof, cables for controlling the speed of movement of thewheel down said track, and means for moving the wheel up the track.

3. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel device ada ted to move on said rails, cables for control ing the speed of movement of the wheel down said track, and means for moving the wheel up the track.

4. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track the lower portion of which is submerged, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to move on said rails and be submerged, cables for controlling the speed of movement of the wheel down the track, and means for moving the wheel up the track.

5. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track the lower portion of which is submerged, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to move on said rails and be submerged, watertight cars on said wheel and rotatable on axes near the periphery thereof, cables for controlling the speed of movement of the wheel down the track, and means for moving the wheel up the track.

6. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track the lower portion of which is submerged, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to move on said rails and be submerged, watertight cars on said wheel adapted to be ballasted and rotatable on axes near the periphery thereof, cables for controlling the movement of the car down the track, and means for moving the wheel up the trac 7. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track the lower portion of which is submerged, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to move.

on said rails and be submerged, watertight cars on said wheel and rotatable on axes near the periphery thereof, ventilating means on said cars, and means for controlling the speed of movement of said wheel up and down the track.

8. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclinedtrack having an abutment at its lower end, of parallel rails on said track, a wheel adapted to move on said rails, and cables for controlling the speed of movement of said wheel up and down said track.

9. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track the lower portion of which is submerged, of rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to run on said rails and be submerged, watertight cars on said wheel and adapted to rotate on axes near the periphery of the wheel, power-operated cables for moving the wheel on said track, and a counterweight on said cables.

10. In an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track, the lower portion of which is submerged, of rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to run on said rails, watertight cars on said wheel and rotatable on axes near the periphery thereof, ventilating means on said cars, and cables for controlling the speed of movement of said wheel up and down the track.

11. In. an amusement device, the combination with an inclined track, of rails on said track, a wheel device adapted to run on said track, cars on said wheel and rotatable on axes near the periphery thereof, cables for controlling the speed of movement of said wheel up and down the trac and'means for loading or unloading all the cars simultaneously.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HUGO GERNSBAGK. 

